These Are the Stories of How You Got into Cars

Photo: Steve DaSilva

For me, it was the ability to easily modify the cars of the 60s and early 70s to make them better than what came from the factory. Especially the pre-’73 cars, you could easily swap in a true dual exhaust system, swap out the 2bbl carb for a nice 4bbl setup, easily improve the air intake as well as the ignition system. Wheels and tires were an easy upgrade, as well as a myriad of other car components. This was especially true in the early 1980s when the early 1970s cars were affordable and easily upgradeable.

Add in the pizzazz of the late 60s / early 70s musclecar era, when cars were colorful and exciting and didn’t look like each other…

We didn’t have computers to play on back then. We had fun getting together and figuring out ways to make our cars better and faster and more efficient. Today’s elder auto engineers were born out of that era.

I look at today’s kids and today’s cars, and it is no wonder that kids these days have little interest in cars. I wonder how that will fare for future auto design?

Just because the methods of tuning have changed, doesn’t mean the spirit has. Four-barrel carbs have been replaced by Cobb accessports and big turbos, but the idea of making your own speed is still alive and well. Those computers that people “play on” are full of car forums, detailing all the thousands of ways to make your car better, faster, or more fuel efficient. And today’s kids are still interested in cars — just maybe not your car.

Submitted by: Grasscatcher2